Samsung pushes out premium suite of features for Galaxy SIII users

Includes productivity features already included with the Galaxy Note II.

Samsung Galaxy SIII owners, have you received your Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update yet? Samsung has apparently been seeding Jelly Bean updates to several handsets since yesterday. Originally reported by SamMobile, Android 4.1.2 is slowly rolling out to those with the international 3G model, and the update features a premium suite of features that come standard with the Galaxy Note II.

It appears that Samsung has also published part one of its video series detailing the update which showcases those premium features. The suite includes multi-window functionality (enabling users to separate their screen into two windows to use two apps at once), a customizable notifications panel, smart rotation, and new NFC and reader features. Also included are contextual menus which adjust based on a user's previous and most frequent actions. Other nifty features include the ability to set up a music program to launch immediately when a user plugs in headphones, new tagging features in the camera application, and an optional notifications ticker available from the lock screen.

Unfortunately, this author's Verizon Wireless Galaxy SIII has not yet been upgraded. If you want to see if your handset is eligible, you can check by hitting the Software Update option in the About menu under Settings, or launch the Kies desktop application on your computer to check for updates.

According to various posts in xda-developers forums, the Canadian SIIIs have been running 4.1 for about a week now. Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Can it be, that for once, our telcos are more on the ball than yours?

According to various posts in xda-developers forums, the Canadian SIIIs have been running 4.1 for about a week now. Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Can it be, that for once, our telcos are more on the ball than yours?

I can confirm that, I had my Sasktel GSIII updated last week to JB, at the time I thought it was just a firmware update, but after the fact noticed some differences.

According to various posts in xda-developers forums, the Canadian SIIIs have been running 4.1 for about a week now. Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Can it be, that for once, our telcos are more on the ball than yours?

I can confirm that, I had my Sasktel GSIII updated last week to JB, at the time I thought it was just a firmware update, but after the fact noticed some differences.

The Galaxy III on Sprint has had 4.1.1 Jelly Bean for a while -- I got 4.1.1 in October, IIRC. This is a different update (4.1.2), it seems.

By the way, the software update isn't under Settings -> About on my phone, it's under Settings -> Software Update

According to various posts in xda-developers forums, the Canadian SIIIs have been running 4.1 for about a week now. Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Can it be, that for once, our telcos are more on the ball than yours?

I can confirm that, I had my Sasktel GSIII updated last week to JB, at the time I thought it was just a firmware update, but after the fact noticed some differences.

The Galaxy III on Sprint has had 4.1.1 Jelly Bean for a while -- I got 4.1.1 in October, IIRC. This is a different update (4.1.2), it seems.

By the way, the software update isn't under Settings -> About on my phone, it's under Settings -> Software Update

(And nope, no update here yet,)

Just checked on my AT&T version, and of course there's no update. AT&T and/or Samsung need to get their asses in gear. BTW on the AT&T version it is under Settings -> About this device. The software must be different depending on your carrier.

According to various posts in xda-developers forums, the Canadian SIIIs have been running 4.1 for about a week now. Rogers, Bell, and Telus. Can it be, that for once, our telcos are more on the ball than yours?

For Windows Phones, the Canadian carriers are better than the American ones for updates.

Ugh ... carrier controlled software updates. Wouldn't it just be a whole lot better if we could past this lock-in BS and handle updates ourselves? I really wish Android could get it's act together with standardization.

I love my Android phone with CM7, even if it is an HTC Hero that's several years old and showing its age. It's stilled way beyond the crappy old version of Android that it included from the carrier. But, more importantly, it's under MY control.

Nobody in the US or Canada will see this update for months. Seriously every single tech site that reports on this has gets it wrong, sure it's released but it's not available to anyone unless your in Poland. It was released to the international i9300 version of the S3 in Poland, just like the 4.1.1 update was, back in July or August! The international versions of the S3 are the equivalent of the Nexus line (not on Verizon) here in the US. The international version gets all the latest updates first and fastest. The only thing that we US S3 owners have going for us is that this update shouldn't be to much different in regards to carrier bloat than the 4.1.1 update.

While I'm certainly not holding out for a speedy update I also wouldn't be surprised if we see this relatively soon -- well as long as your not on Verizon that is

Yeah nothing on this Verizon SIII, and no surprise since Verizon sucks at rolling out updates. However, they are also the only game in my area (no other services have coverage despite maps showing that they do).

Sometimes I see cool features like Multi-Window and kind of want an Android phone but when I see all the other stuff like digging through convoluted menus with poorly named functions, I say, "eehh, I'll pass".

Yeah nothing on this Verizon SIII, and no surprise since Verizon sucks at rolling out updates. However, they are also the only game in my area (no other services have coverage despite maps showing that they do).

Sometimes I see cool features like Multi-Window and kind of want an Android phone but when I see all the other stuff like digging through convoluted menus with poorly named functions, I say, "eehh, I'll pass".

Multi-Window is nearly useless. On the other hand, you're either a troll or not paying much attention (with how generally crap comment-only posters are, I'm gonna go with the former) because it's obvious with even a bit of hands-on time that there's a shocking lack of "digging through convoluted menus" on Android in general.

I own three iPhones and an iPad and trying to muck with settings on them is a ton more obnoxious than on Android 4.x.

Verizon needs to bloody hurry up. I would like to get my update before the Galaxy S 4 comes out.

There are a ton of awesome ROMs out there if you're willing to tweak under the hood a bit. Actually, in most cases they do all of the work for you, you pretty much just hit "go". I've been on Jelly bean for a while with my S3 (and loving it)

Of course, they aren't perfect, but I'd highly suggest checking them out if you're getting sick of waiting.

My T-mobile SIII has the 4.1.1 JB update, but not the 4.1.2 one yet. Probably another month or three before any US carriers get it. :-( Updating seems to be one thing Sprint and T-Mo are quicker than ATT or VZ (but not always and usually not more than a month).

Quote:

The suite includes ... smart rotation ...

I have this now, and pretty sure I've had it from the start (ICS). In Settings, Display, Smart rotation. I don't use it though, so not sure if it works (read reviews it's hit or miss).

I updated my SGIII earlier this week to the official AT&T Jellybean update. You will NOT get Jellybean on AT&T using the over the air update. You have to use Kies or Odin. I've already wiped that and use BlackJelly based on the AT&T JB release.

Sometimes I see cool features like Multi-Window and kind of want an Android phone but when I see all the other stuff like digging through convoluted menus with poorly named functions, I say, "eehh, I'll pass".

Multi-Window is nearly useless. On the other hand, you're either a troll or not paying much attention (with how generally crap comment-only posters are, I'm gonna go with the former) because it's obvious with even a bit of hands-on time that there's a shocking lack of "digging through convoluted menus" on Android in general.

I own three iPhones and an iPad and trying to muck with settings on them is a ton more obnoxious than on Android 4.x.

It's generally the Apple fanboys who've never used an Android phone for more than 10 seconds who seem to find Android "convoluted" and "hard to use." These are the same retards spinning up conspiracy theories on how Samsung is probably dumping all its shipments somewhere and calling them "sales."

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Verizon are a bunch of cum guzzlers. I can sort of see why you would withhold updates on a lowly entry-level device--minimal profit on an entry-level device--but utterly shameful to pull on a flagship device. I wasn't going to bother with a custom ROM on this phone because the stock experience (outside of rooting to disable shitware) was pretty good, but when you're continuing to withhold the 4.1 update it pretty much gives me no choice.

It's even harder to be understanding when Verizon was the only carrier to have their version of the SIII release with a locked bootloader. At least give us the fucking stock updates.

(Also in case you think I'm being too harsh, I still have memories of being forced to deal with the original Razr's horrendous camera gallery interface to get pictures off my phone and onto an SD card because of Verizon disabling Bluetooth functionality for everything but headsets.)

My S3 AT&T KIES Samsung update was a root canal. I do IT for 300 person outfit: VMware, servers, desktop biulds and this was painful. 4 hours and I am at 55%. Windows Update for phone is the biggest hang up. Getting the update in and having it transfer to the phone took several reboots. Why Kies does not include the window driver instead of doing a Windows Update search... Ugh. Ultimately it was some combination of being logged in as a admininstrator, getting the Windows update on the phone. Rebooting the PC with the phone connected - rebooted and on, getting Autoplay to show files on the phones memory that got the process started.Hope it finishes successfully.